The Effect of Focus on Vaginal Examination Experience and Pain Level: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Vaginal examination before and during labor may cause negative feelings in women and adversely affect the birth. Distraction attempts to be made during the examination process can help the pregnant woman both self-confidence and take the first step towards a positive birth. This study was conducted to examine the effect of the focus applied during the first vaginal examination in labor on the vaginal examination experience and pain level of primiparous pregnant women. The study was conducted in a randomized controlled clinical trial design with primiparous women who applied to give birth in Ankara City Hospital Gynecology clinic between June and November 2021. 102 (study: 51, control: 51) women determined by the G*Power 3.1 program were included in the research sample. Research data were collected through an introductory information form, a visual comparison scale, and a scale of women's expressions of vaginal examination in labor. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS V23. Compliance with normal distribution was examined by Shapiro-Wilk and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests, and when comparing normally distributed data in paired groups, independent two-sample t-test was used, and when comparing non-normally distributed data, Mann Whitney U Test was used. One-Way Analysis of Variance was used to compare the normally distributed data in the three groups, the Kruskal Wallis Test was used to compare the non-normally distributed data, and the Chi-Square Test was used to compare the categorical data. Spearman's rho correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between non-normally distributed variables and scale scores. Linear Regression Analysis was used to determine the independent variables affecting the scale score and VAS score. The results are presented as frequency (percentage) for categorical variables, mean ± standard deviation and median (minimum - maximum) for quantitative variables.

Inclusion criteria

• 18 years and over,
• The gestational week is due,
• Able to speak and understand Turkish,
• Single and healthy fetus pregnancy,
• Primiparous,
• Head presentation,
• No diagnosis of risky pregnancy,
• Not allergic to latex,
• Having a vaginal examination for the first time after being admitted to the TDL service,
• In the latent phase (examination between 0-5 cm when applying to the emergency department (WHO, 2018))
• No communication problem,
• Does not have a mental illness,
• No premature rupture of membranes,
• Pregnant women who agreed to participate in the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Genito-urinary system infection,
• Having vaginismus,
• Pregnant women whose first vaginal examination was not performed by the researcher during labor.